Any recent G.Cayman diver reports?

[randolph]

Has anyone been or heard from Grand Cayman divers

on conditions for diving since the hurricanes?

Thanks

[bruce-r]

The reports I have read on scubadiving.com are almost all positive. Little damage between 0-30 ft, mostly soft stuff like sponges. Below 30 very little damage if any. Actually in some places, the hurricane might have even improved the dive site by removing sand. Several beaches had their sand replenished by the hurricane.

[zydecocruiser]

http://www.caymannetnews.com/2004/10/746/diving.shtml

 

Several operators were at the DEMA meeting in Houston, but I didn't see any reports:

http://www.dema.org/index.cfm

[joeb49]

Thought I would bring this information over from the Cayman port of call site. It was posted by Island Marketing Cayman and might be informative to all of us at the scuba thread!

 

"The first arriving Ship is not known, we are doing our best to find out on our end today.

 

Please note that it is our offered scuba diving service, on our reservation service, that is not available until December 15th (an estimated guess, it could be earlier) Our offered scuba diving operations are not indicative of other scuba diving providers operational capabilities whom we do not service. Some Scuba Diving providers will be diving on November 1st onwards, but I do not know which providers are operational. Once again, scuba diving is available in Grand Cayman today, just not on our service. We only service two Scuba Diving providers: One for Stingray City, Wall, wreck diving and resort courses whose George Town dive shop/dock was damaged and should be repaired soon, their boats are fine and we wish them a super speedy recovery. The other provider services our shore diving and resort courses. We were dismayed to be advised that they will be raising prices for their service, a move which was unexpected and makes very little business sense to me at this time, we should be providing lowered specials for returning Passengers for a limited time not raise pricing IMO. We have decided to drop the “price raiser” from our service due to lack of sense and might include him once again once his reasoning returns to normal. As I asked him yesterday “What else did you hurt when you hit your head last night?”

 

Dives have been conducted Island wide by many Dive Masters in order to inspect the reefs and they have found very little damage. Stingray City was visited as well as the Stingray City Sandbar, both appear normal. From 5ft to 30ft some barrel sponges have “leaned over”, (keep in mind that a sponge can be cut into one thousand pieces and the one thousand pieces will create one thousand sponges. Even dry sponges found on shore if robbed on a silk napkin or other porous material will create spores which will re-grow sponges. Let hear it for the amazing sponges!! Please do not try this at home) Some Sea Fans have snapped, coral seams healthy (Coral is truly amazing also, but I have already included one “useless fact” in this post and will not add another ) Depths of 30ft to 90ft all seems normal, gullies were filled with sand (also called sand shoots) not surprising as sand is siphoned in the sand shoots regularly, surely nature’s way of keeping sand off the reef. From 80ft to 10,000ft (the Cayman Wall) is perfectly fine and was most likely the best place to be during Ivan.

 

I can only imagine how much work was involved by cruise liners over changing itineraries and advising all passengers of changes last month. I am sure that the next two weeks will be a surprise Cayman visit for most that are looking at the revised Oct-Nov itineraries issued last month. Grand Cayman will be re-included in itineraries as soon as a normal Ship flow resumes for now we will have to deal with surprises, all I have to say about that is “Bring it on!”

 

Now, back to work

 

Matteo"

 

Can't wait to get there- and still looking for divers along with us on CCL Inspiration leaving 11/27--- anybody??? :)

[les888lie]

I have read that many of the Stingray's at Stingray City are gone. Can anyone confirm?